Top priority when buying a house

avenida

Ok guys, when you are buying a house what is top of the list?

Is it location, finish or layout maybe?

Saw a house in no 1 location but needs work and layout not exactly how I would like it, then there is this other house gorgeous inside, excellent layout but not in top location

opinions please

LandyAndy

Location, location, location. Its the only thing you can't change.

jjlandlord

Let's see:

Location cannot be changed, decoration and defects can be fixed.
Layout cannot be changed either (mostly), but better a less than ideal layout that a great layout in the ghetto.

So:
1. Location
2. Layout
3. Finish

Gwhiz

Whilst location is the main thing you do have to view this as a sliding scale rather than a black and white absolute.

Best house in best street is always the best thing to buy BUT if you cannot afford that then what about best house in 2nd best street? Is that any worse than the 2nd best house in the best street if it falls much better within budget?

Dumbe

Price .. Value for money versus other properties in area

Location ( right house price trend)

duchy

Depends if you want a house to move into and do nothing or something that with work would increase more in value- but you need the time, spare cash and will to do it.

fairy_lights

I will hopefully be buying my first house next year and top of my list has got to be location, followed closely by outside space. I can put up with a weird layout and can change hideous wallpaper etc, but I don't want to live in a rough area and after years of living in tiny flats a garden is a deal breaker for me.

avenida

The house in the not as nice location has everything we want, this house also has another interested party, only on the market a week, can c a bidding war developing.

The house is the best location doesn't need major work, just not as pretty but in a highly regarded area, this one has been on market about 6 months and I can c why its not selling, its not been very well looked after and the owner has made no effort to sell it, it needs TLC

The worry is we go for the house in the 2nd choice location and we don't settle

Bart1

My must haves are general location and freehold without any service charges.

Then in order of importance.

Size
Parking (street parking is ok)
Central heating
Specific location
Decor

cinnamon442

Price (No point looking in an area if you can't afford it)
Location (near a station but not on top of one)
Layout (does it have rooms on top of each other and a bathroom off the kitchen?)
Parking (I have a car)
Kitchen and bathroom (most expensive to fix so if these two are nice, we're on to a winner)
Heating (gas over electric and changing it to gas is expensive so if it's electric, I'm put off)
Finish (if I can live with it for a few months while I save up to repaint etc)

Paully232000

When we bought location was at the top of the priority and as we were in no rush when we started looking we could wait, and we wanted it as a forever house and obviously cant change the location.
In the end we chose a house in the location we wanted, the layout was fine, including space front and back. The only thing was that it had not been decorated, or really looked after in the 12 years since it had been built, including settlement cracks still in every room. Now, nearly a year later have decorated everywhere and is as near perfect a house as we could have found.